Market report: Football fever fires up spending as easyJet plots new flight path
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist, Wealth Club: “Investors look like they’ve struggled to get out of bed this morning, with the Footsie flat in early trade. The blue-chip index moved very lightly higher after the open, with little on the economic calendar to fully jolt markets awake.
England’s stunning World Cup victory over Mexico will be seen as a big win for the hospitality industry, with bars and pubs set to cash in further on the team’s progress as fans celebrate. The tills were ringing all night at establishments which stayed open for the game, and the tournament is expected to provide a multi-million-pound boost to the industry as England’s run continues. According to payments company Dojo, spending at pubs and bars was already running 17.3% higher during the first two weeks of England’s World Cup campaign than in the preceding fortnight, with July’s takings expected to swell further.
Football fever is also likely to trigger a fresh wave of spending on party food, cold drinks and barbecue essentials, as fans make the most of the good weather in the run-up to the game against Norway on Saturday. With the mood turning euphoric towards the England team, it could help provide a short-term lift to consumer confidence. However, if England’s run is cut short next weekend, the feel-good factor could fade just as quickly, leaving any boost to spending likely to prove temporary rather than the start of a sustained improvement in household optimism.
The big driver of sentiment on markets this week is likely to be the release of the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee minutes on Wednesday, which could offer fresh insight into attitudes towards interest rates. Last week’s weaker-than-expected US jobs data has already dampened expectations for multiple rate hikes. Oil prices have settled back towards their pre-Iran conflict levels, raising hopes that the knock-on effects of the energy shock may prove less severe than initially feared.
easyJet appears to be on final approach for a move into private ownership after its board indicated it would be minded to recommend a sweetened £5.5 billion takeover offer from US investment firm Castlelake, marking a significant shift after previously dismissing earlier approaches as “highly opportunistic”. The latest proposal of 690p a share represents a substantial premium to where the shares were trading before takeover interest emerged and suggests Castlelake has finally reached a price the board believes better reflects the airline’s longer-term value. The deal remains subject to a formal offer and regulatory approvals, but if completed it would see one of Britain’s best-known brands leave the London stock market.
easyJet has endured a difficult few months, with the conflict in Iran unsettling consumer confidence, pushing up fuel costs and weighing on European travel demand. Those pressures depressed the airline’s share price and created an opportunity that Castlelake clearly believes the market has mispriced. The private equity firm, which has deep expertise in aircraft leasing and aviation finance, appears to see long-term value in easyJet’s modern fleet, strong balance sheet and growing holidays business.
Private equity ownership would almost certainly usher in a new phase for easyJet. While being outside the glare of the public markets could give management greater freedom to invest for the long term, private equity investors are typically laser-focused on driving efficiency and boosting returns. That can often mean a fresh look at every aspect of the business – from staffing levels and head office costs to supplier contracts and operational spending. Employees will inevitably be wondering whether job cuts could follow, while passengers will be watching closely to see whether cost-cutting comes at the expense of customer service. The challenge for Castlelake, if a deal goes ahead, will be finding ways to improve profitability without undermining the low-cost airline’s reputation for reliability or denting the customer experience that has helped build one of Europe’s strongest short-haul brands.
The bid is also the latest example of UK-listed companies becoming attractive targets for overseas buyers, reinforcing concerns about the City of London’s shrinking role as a home for publicly traded businesses. If easyJet leaves the London market, it will add to a growing list of high-profile companies exiting the exchange through overseas acquisitions or private equity takeovers. That underlines the continuing valuation gap between UK equities and international peers, with global investors increasingly viewing British companies as attractive takeover targets rather than long-term listed investments. The loss of another established public company would be another blow to the depth and diversity of the UK stock market. As more established British businesses disappear from the London Stock Exchange, investors seeking exposure to the country’s growth stories may increasingly need to look elsewhere. Private markets are becoming home to a growing share of entrepreneurial and fast-growing companies, meaning investors who are able to diversify into carefully selected private assets could gain access to opportunities that are increasingly no longer available on public markets.”